Benchmark is set too high for Welsh regions

Apr 23 2007 Western Mail

Clermont Auvergne 46-29 Dragons

A BLOODIED, bruised and battered Kevin Morgan was spot on as the inquest began into the Dragons' semi-final exit in France.

"We showed a lot of heart - but we still have to go home with a defeat," said the skipper.

It's a line Welsh rugby is becoming sadly all too familiar with in European competitions.

The manner of the Challenge Cup defeat was as heartbreaking as that of the Scarlets and it clearly hurt the Dragons players just as much.

Following back-to-back wins against French opposition, they sensed it was their year to finally break the regional silverware duck ahead of this last four tie.

It wasn't to be though in 2007 as the Dragons came a cropper in an entertaining 11-try feast played out in searing heat.

The team sheets just emphasised the gulf in class and experience between the two sides.

Clermont's big hitters were either left on the bench or left out altogether; the Dragons' replacements contained four rising rookies in the form of Jamie Corsi, Aled Thomas, Alex Walker and Phil Dollman. The nous of the injured Colin Charvis in the back-row was sorely missed, but he would have been powerless to prevent the Dragons bowing out.

Why? Because they were simply out-muscled, outfought and out-skilled by a superior side riding high at the top of the French championship.

Not that the visitors didn't put their bodies on the line and can be proud of their efforts.

They clearly, at times, had Clermont rattled. But it wasn't enough and the Gwent side still suffer the achilles heel which blights regional rugby in Wales - knowing how to come through big cup games.

"Not many teams come to France and win and we knew we would have to be at our best from start to finish to do so," admitted Morgan.

"Unfortunately we couldn't get going and weren't allowed to as we were starved of the ball in the first half, which ultimately cost us.

"They are a good side and deserved the win but we feel we could have run them closer as we had them on the rack at times.

"Our final pass, though, would go astray or we would be shunted back at crucial times; and that's hard when you are chasing the game.

"Every time we scored and tried to put pressure on them they seemed to come back at us, which I suppose is a sign of a very good side.

"Basically it was clear, though, that we'd lost that match in the first 25 minutes and even though we tried our hardest it was always going to be an uphill struggle for us in that heat."

The Wales international full-back was exactly right. After Michael Owen freed the impressive wing Aled Brew to open the try scoring against the run of play, the Dragons were hit by a Clermont purple patch which settled the game.

A nine-minute spell saw the hosts rack up 21 unanswered points which even the best of sides in Europe would struggle to come back from in the scorching sunshine.

Morgan missed touch and three passes later Clermont had given the home supporters something to shout about when Aurelien Rougerie skipped past two poor Dragons tackles to cross under the sticks.

Moments later the Dragons line out, which struggled to function all game, misfired and No. 8 Gonzalo Longo pounced.

It got no better as Jamie Ringer was sin-binned and Thomas Domingo made the most of their numerical advantage to burrow over.

At 27-5 midway through the first-half it was basically game over.

To their credit, the visitors never gave up and the ever-improving Adam Black and flying wing Brew crossed either side of the break to throw the game back in the melting pot.

But Clermont just emptied their bench and put their foot back on the accelerator peddle when required; the comeback charge was halted and the result was rarely threatened.

Tony Marsh and then Brice Miguel went over all too easily, although the tireless Ian Gough kept the visitors within two scores as he grabbed a rare try midway through the half.

The frantic pace of the game had certainly relented in the heat, but the try scoring didn't as both teams grabbed a further touchdown in the closing stages.

After Clermont's outstanding scrum-half Pierre Mignoni raced through, replacement Dollman - on for Nathan Brew following his suspected sprained ankle - chipped ahead and won a foot race to round off the scoring.

But despite making many friends and taking many plaudits afterwards, the Dragons still returned home empty-handed and with that familiar sinking feeling.

"We can take heart out of the way we never gave up, but, ultimately, we go home disappointed with a defeat," added a dejected Morgan.

"It was good, though, for us to play against a side like this and we had a lot of young players out there who would have learned a lot.

"It will have helped our younger players in the long-term and we will move on and learn a great deal from the tournament.

"We've managed to blood a few new faces and stood up well in a tough competition."